Athena Erie: When women lift up women

Sunday

The power of mentoring reveals itself among Erie executives who grow into leadership.

Sometimes the best way to get ahead in life is to get a little help from a friend.

The women involved in Athena Erie take that seriously, matching experienced executives to younger workers to mentor them as they grow into larger leadership roles.

Tina Donikowski, who retired as a vice president of GE Transportation, credits another female GE executive with helping her. Now Donikowski is passing the baton by mentoring Chris Marsh, the chief community and economic development officer at Erie Insurance who is also a central figure in the effort to revitalize a portion of downtown Erie.

Relationships like the one between Donikowski and Marsh will be celebrated later this month when Athena Erie hosts its annual leadership luncheon, where tables of eight people guided by a facilitator will discuss core leadership principles. Donikowski will be one of the facilitators at the Oct. 25 event at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel & Conference Center. Marsh will be bringing her entire team to the luncheon.

Linda Stevenson, chairwoman of Erie Athena PowerLink and Athena Erie, is glad to have both women involved in the mentoring luncheon.

"Clearly Tina's history is impressive," Stevenson said. "She started her career as a secretary at GE and saw an opportunity to make a difference. She went back to school and made a huge impact on the women at GE and in the community." Stevenson called Donikowski a role model for female leaders.

In turn, Donikowski credited Susan Breon, who retired from GE Transportation as the general manager of communications, for sharing her mentoring skills. "She introduced me to Athena," said Donikowski, who was recognized with the Erie Athena Leadership Award in 2006.

Paying it forward

Donikowski saw the same opportunity when she met Marsh. Both women were involved in the Erie Downtown Development Corporation when the organization that aims to move Erie forward was in its formative stages two years ago.

"It was all men — power brokers," Donikowski said, "but I was accustomed to being the only woman in the room, and that never threw me."

Marsh's background is in numbers. The certified public accountant has held a variety of senior management roles at Erie Insurance over 23 years. Before that, she'd been an audit manager at Ernst & Young, where she met Tim NeCastro, now the chief executive at Erie Insurance. It was that connection that moved her into her current role, and she credits Donikowski for her mentorship.

Before and after retiring, Donikowski sat on boards of community organizations. She said when Pierre McCormick, retired president of Wisconsin Distribution, and other leaders gathered to discuss Erie's future, "long story short, we figured out what was the best thing to execute Erie Refocused," Donikowski said.

The group established the nonprofit Erie Downtown Development Corporation, and NeCastro called on Marsh to take a full-time leadership role. Donikowksi was there to add guidance. "I was grateful," Marsh said. "She gave me the confidence." Marsh and Donikowksi laughed when they agreed Marsh had "that deer in the headlights look" at first.

"I would say, 'Relax,'" Donikowski said. She reminded Marsh that her project management skills and other skill sets were what was going to move the EDDC forward. With a lot of work by the team, the EDDC achieved 501(c)(3) status in less than two months.

"It was unheard of that approval was that fast, but we had a lot of help," Marsh said. She credited the team for its efforts and the help from everyone who had done something similar in other cities.

While the team traveled to various locations to meet with other city leaders who had accomplished similar goals, Marsh wondered if she should give up her seat on a plane to one of the meetings because not all of the team members could fit on the plane. She reached out to Donikowski. "Don't you give up that seat," Donikowski recalled telling Marsh. "You have as much reason to be there as anyone."

Marsh agreed. "I'm glad I didn't give up my seat," she said. Donikowski also advises Marsh and other women to be confident. "Fake it to feel it," she said. "Sometimes we have to prove it to ourselves. Once we do the work, we can watch our confidence grow."

Marsh said that one of her early mentors was Susan Hirt Hagan, the first woman to serve on the Board of Directors of Erie Indemnity Co. "She took care of all of us and encouraged us," Marsh said of Erie Insurance female employees. Marsh added that Hagan was a leader when few women achieved top-level positions, and she was recognized for many firsts as a woman in the Erie community.

Leadership advice from the trenches

Marsh and Donikowsi didn't grow up in families that were steeped in managers who pressured them to succeed and reach leadership roles. Marsh said her family didn't even expect her to get a college degree, but when her father asked her to fax him a copy of her CPA license, she thought he wanted proof that she did it. But it meant much more to him. "It was like a trophy to him," Marsh said. "I later found out that he showed it to everyone, and he was so proud of me."

When Donikowski started at GE in 1977, her father was an hourly maintenance worker at GE Transportation. She never dreamed she would eventually serve as one of a handful of corporate officers.

Her advice to other women: Remember you deserve to be there and in a leadership role. But she said that doesn't mean overstepping. It's a balance, and a mentor can help you determine when to step up.

"The next level of mentoring is sponsoring — you become much more powerful and advocating for your mentees," Donikowski said.

Donikowski and Marsh agreed it has to be the right time to mentor and pull women along, and she and Marsh advocate one-on-one mentoring, but they both credit Stevenson for her advocacy. "It's crazy exponential, what she does," Donikowski said. "She was the voice for Athena, and she's been mentoring for 30 years. We all owe her a huge debt. She has changed the landscape."

Colleen Mezler, CEO of Moore Research, and Stevenson are chairs of the leadership luncheon. To participate in the 11 a.m. event, visit www.athenaerie.org/athena-womens-leadership-luncheon.html. Tickets are $40 per person.

Pam Parker is the editor of House to Home, Her Times and Lake Erie LifeStyle. She can be reached at 870-1821 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HerTimesErie.

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